The FBI has arrested two additional suspects in the alleged conspiracy to attack a June 14 Ultimate Fighting Championship event at the White House that investigators say was intended to kill senior U.S. officials and “cause enough chaos to bring about the overthrow of the U.S. government,” the U.S. Department of Justice announced on Monday.
William Lee Spartacus Falkner, of Washington state, and Jordan W. Rincker, of Missouri, were charged with conspiracy to commit murder. Their arrests bring the number of publicly identified defendants in the case to seven.
The investigation began after the parents of Tycen Proper, a 19-year-old Ohio man already charged in the case, alerted authorities to his recent weapons purchases and online activities. According to court filings, Proper later admitted taking part in planning an attack involving explosive-laden drones and gunmen positioned to fire on officials and attendees as they fled the area.
Federal prosecutors allege the conspirators planned to use drones carrying explosives to force an evacuation of the White House grounds before deploying snipers and other gunmen against “high-value targets” and members of the fleeing crowd. Authorities disrupted the plot before the event took place.
Court documents also describe alleged antisemitic and anti-Israel motivations among some members of the group. Investigators said Proper made statements sympathetic to Adolf Hitler and posted antisemitic content online. Prosecutors further allege that he identified Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) as a potential target because of her support for Israel and circulated information about members of Congress that “appear to have been taken from the website ‘TrackAIPAC.com.’”
According to the FBI, Falkner was identified through communications recovered during the investigation. Prosecutors allege that he discussed acquiring and operating drones, including plans to equip them with explosives for use in the attack.
Rincker is accused of providing logistical support to the conspiracy, including transferring funds to a co-conspirator, supplying a shotgun to the group’s alleged leader and agreeing to use a 3D printer to manufacture drone components, according to court filings. Prosecutors also allege that he helped finance another suspect’s travel.
“We will continue taking decisive action against those who seek to endanger national security and threaten the safety of Americans,” said R. Matthew Price, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Missouri. “By staying proactive, we will disrupt their operations, break apart their networks, and hold those responsible accountable under the law.”
